Bridging Communities

Bridging Communities is a groundbreaking program in activism, social justice, and solidarity-building that provides invaluable leadership training for youth of color. Each year, the program brings together youth from different communities to broaden their understanding of one another. This year, CAIR-LA is pleased to announce that the Bridging Communities program will be a collaboration between the Muslim and Latinx communities. Participants will develop a better sense of their identity, learn how their community has effected social change in America, and understand social inequities. At the end of the program, participants will gain hands-on experience getting out the vote in preparation for the 2018 midterm elections.

History of Bridging Communities

The Japanese American community of Los Angeles County was one of the first communities to stand in solidarity with the Muslim community, who had faced an increasing amount of discrimination and religious intolerance after 9/11. Both the Muslim and Japanese American communities had conversations about how we could build bridges between our communities. Thus, Bridging Communities was established in 2007, and the first program catering to high school students was launched in 2009. The vision is rooted in exploring different immigrant experiences with discrimination, identity, civil rights, and movement building locally as well as nationally. Since its creation, the vision of Bridging Communities has expanded to build solidarity broadly between different grassroots organizations that represent and serve communities of color.